on his wrist: Pierre LaForge. He stood, and closed the door to his tiny studio flat. He grabbed the phone off the end table next to the futon couch where he slept, a beige blanket tangled across it. He dialed 9-1-1 and waited, while it rang once, twice
“911 what is your emergency?” a clear voice answered.
“A man collapsed on my doorstep, can you send someone?”
“Have you performed CPR?”
“No, he’s not breathing,” Elwen responded, tapping his foot. He needed to do something to distract the cops while he went on a search for Krishani.
“Have you checked for a pulse?”
“Yes, there’s no pulse.”
“Can I get your name, address, and phone number?”
“Tom Norton, 1776 Adelaide Avenue, Lewisham.”
“Thank you Mr. Norton we’ll send someone shortly.”
Elwen hung up, throwing on his brown loafers and adjusting the belt on his trousers. He slicked his dark brown hair back. It felt odd not being as long as it used to be, his fingers feeling for hair that used to be there. He threw a brown and beige patterned sweater vest overtop his dress shirt, grabbed the keys to his Mini, and fled the flat, stepping over the dead body in the foyer. He clamored down the steps taking them two at a time until he was out in the fresh air. He rounded the gray Mini and hopped into the driver’s seat. He didn’t need to wonder what Krishani was up to. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked Elwen for help in the past nine thousand years.
Elwen only hoped Darkesh of the Valtanyana wasn’t aware of Krishani’s impromptu excursion this time. Elwen refused to involve himself in their wars, but when High King Tor fell he swore allegiance to Darkesh to salvage his immortality. He’d changed his name once every hundred years or so, and was a master at manipulation, something that came with being so old. The Valtanyana came to him when they needed favors but Elwen hadn’t seen them since settling in Lewisham a couple hundred years ago, before the land became a breeding ground for cement and steel.
He raced down the narrow alleyways and thick interstates, heading towards University Hospital. It was the biggest and closest to where he lived and if Krishani was going to possess another human body, Elwen wanted to be there to see it. He’d been there for seventeen of Krishani’s lasting possessions, monitoring him until he ultimately found his end.
One thing Elwen was certain of: when Krishani possessed a body, the Vulture would destroy it.
Elwen darted around a semi, and watched for the turn off to Lewisham High Street. Hitting the gas he floored it towards the exit, cutting off a Dodge Caravan in the process. He flipped around the corner and sped down Lewisham High, his eyes scanning the boulevards dotted with oak trees and short black fences. As he neared the turn off for the hospital, he slowed. A car behind him honked and passed. Elwen made a right, into the compound of University Hospital, brown buildings with triangle roofs and turrets surrounding him.
The Mini rumbled over speed bumps as Elwen searched the grassy patches beside each of the buildings. He turned left with the road, and viewed the cul-de-sac at the end. If Krishani wasn’t here he’d have to double back and try another hospital. Nervousness crept into him. Darkesh couldn’t know about this. He couldn’t fathom what the Prince of Darkness would do if he found his champion Vulture shirking his eternal duties. At the same time he had to keep Krishani away from Gemma and Kazazar who no doubt would have a lot of things to say about Elwen’s willingness to help the former Ferryman.
It wasn’t necessarily a choice, but Elwen felt as guilty about the past as Krishani did. What Kaliel had sentenced them to … Krishani had suffered the worst. Elwen failed Krishani as a mentor and disregarded him in his time of need. He should have been more forceful, locked Krishani in solitary confinement, and stopped him from finding the other Flames. If he
“911 what is your emergency?” a clear voice answered.
“A man collapsed on my doorstep, can you send someone?”
“Have you performed CPR?”
“No, he’s not breathing,” Elwen responded, tapping his foot. He needed to do something to distract the cops while he went on a search for Krishani.
“Have you checked for a pulse?”
“Yes, there’s no pulse.”
“Can I get your name, address, and phone number?”
“Tom Norton, 1776 Adelaide Avenue, Lewisham.”
“Thank you Mr. Norton we’ll send someone shortly.”
Elwen hung up, throwing on his brown loafers and adjusting the belt on his trousers. He slicked his dark brown hair back. It felt odd not being as long as it used to be, his fingers feeling for hair that used to be there. He threw a brown and beige patterned sweater vest overtop his dress shirt, grabbed the keys to his Mini, and fled the flat, stepping over the dead body in the foyer. He clamored down the steps taking them two at a time until he was out in the fresh air. He rounded the gray Mini and hopped into the driver’s seat. He didn’t need to wonder what Krishani was up to. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked Elwen for help in the past nine thousand years.
Elwen only hoped Darkesh of the Valtanyana wasn’t aware of Krishani’s impromptu excursion this time. Elwen refused to involve himself in their wars, but when High King Tor fell he swore allegiance to Darkesh to salvage his immortality. He’d changed his name once every hundred years or so, and was a master at manipulation, something that came with being so old. The Valtanyana came to him when they needed favors but Elwen hadn’t seen them since settling in Lewisham a couple hundred years ago, before the land became a breeding ground for cement and steel.
He raced down the narrow alleyways and thick interstates, heading towards University Hospital. It was the biggest and closest to where he lived and if Krishani was going to possess another human body, Elwen wanted to be there to see it. He’d been there for seventeen of Krishani’s lasting possessions, monitoring him until he ultimately found his end.
One thing Elwen was certain of: when Krishani possessed a body, the Vulture would destroy it.
Elwen darted around a semi, and watched for the turn off to Lewisham High Street. Hitting the gas he floored it towards the exit, cutting off a Dodge Caravan in the process. He flipped around the corner and sped down Lewisham High, his eyes scanning the boulevards dotted with oak trees and short black fences. As he neared the turn off for the hospital, he slowed. A car behind him honked and passed. Elwen made a right, into the compound of University Hospital, brown buildings with triangle roofs and turrets surrounding him.
The Mini rumbled over speed bumps as Elwen searched the grassy patches beside each of the buildings. He turned left with the road, and viewed the cul-de-sac at the end. If Krishani wasn’t here he’d have to double back and try another hospital. Nervousness crept into him. Darkesh couldn’t know about this. He couldn’t fathom what the Prince of Darkness would do if he found his champion Vulture shirking his eternal duties. At the same time he had to keep Krishani away from Gemma and Kazazar who no doubt would have a lot of things to say about Elwen’s willingness to help the former Ferryman.
It wasn’t necessarily a choice, but Elwen felt as guilty about the past as Krishani did. What Kaliel had sentenced them to … Krishani had suffered the worst. Elwen failed Krishani as a mentor and disregarded him in his time of need. He should have been more forceful, locked Krishani in solitary confinement, and stopped him from finding the other Flames. If he
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